The 'Girls' creator admitted it has become a running joke that she's caused chaos with controversial comments on social media, which she has then backtracked and issued public apologies for, but she insists it is important to keep trying and ''growing''.

Speaking during South by Southwest's Authenticity and Media in 2018 panel on Saturday (10.03.18), she said: ''These articles come out that say, 'Lena Dunham apologies for like the 87th' time,' [but] that was how I was raised.

''We try and we fail and we try again. We think the problem from another angle and we grow.

''I have about 19 people ready to stop me from tweeting. Many of them paid.''

The 31-year-old star has grown away from feeling she has to have an ''opinion about everything'' and instead would rather give other women a platform to speak out.

She said: ''I didn't get in to this to be a perfect celebrity model. I don't know how to do it.

''That is not where my skill set lies and I think a big part of my 30s is moving away from this sense that I need to have an opinion about everything and taking a moment to think before I speak.

''Now I find myself wanting to slow down and think about how I can give other women the platform that was given to me. How I can speak through my work. And I hope that this is maturing. I think it is.''

Lena admitted stirring up controversy can spark a sense of ''shame'', but it usually disappears quickly.

She said: ''I'll have two moments. One is full of shame and like, 'I should never have been let out of my house in the first place.' Or like, 'Nobody even deserves me or my truth.' But it goes away really fast and it's kind of the only thing that I know how to do.''

Lena made her first public appearance at the event since she underwent a full hysterectomy last month and was thankful for the unexpected outpouring of support she's received since having her cervix and uterus removed.

She said: ''The only person I'd heard of with hysterectomies was like my 67 year old grandmother, I just didn't know that we were out there.

''The amount of people I am having conversations about gynecological health with in public places is off the charts. But I like it.

''I'd rather do that then exchange fake pleasantries. It was only three months ago.''